EU Tally: 222 Billion Centimes (DA) Paid By Algerians In Fees For Schengen Visas

The EU’s 2017 tally showed that Algerians paid 222 billion centimes (DA) in fees for a single visa to enter European territory under the Schengen space, while the rate of refusal to grant the relevant visas rose to 28 percent over the past year, compared to 2016 when it reached 25 percent.

An official EU source in Algeria revealed Wednesday that European Union embassies have ranked Algeria as the number one Arab country in terms of applications for Schengen visas over the past five years compared with Morocco and Tunisia. Algeria’s visa applications rose in the year 2017 to 28 percent, an increase of 2 percent of the total annual demand for European countries under the Schengen space.

According to our source, the French Embassy ranks first in terms of the amount of  fees paid by visa applicants as many unaccepted files are turned down without any financial compensation. 

In a rough calculation, more than 55,000 files were rejected in 2017 and thus accrued the French Treasury around 3 million Euros, without counting the income  stemming from about 500 thousand granted visas during the same year, followed by Great Britain.

According to a report published by the General Directorate of Foreigners at the French Interior Ministry on Saturday, the Algerians ranked second in the world in the number of visas granted in 2017 with a total of  413 thousand and 976 visas, followed by Moroccans in third place in the world with 323 thousand and 670 visas.

The Tunisians ranked sixth in the world with 136,663 granted visas, the Saudis ranked eighth with 85,000 and 100 visas, followed by Egyptians in the ninth place in the world with 58,453 visas, followed by the Lebanese in tenth spot worldwide with 55,994 granted visas.

On the other hand, the same source added that the financial package spent by the Algerians during the year 2017 in order to secure a Schengen visa exceeded 222 billion centimes (DA).